How are Christians able to celebrate the death of loved one?

Christians are able to celebrate death, because Christians are a people of H O P E

What is this hope?

Hope, in scripture, is not hoping that it will rain, when maybe it will rain or maybe it won’t rain.

Hope, in scripture, is not hoping that your favorite sports team will win, when maybe they will win or maybe they will lose.

Hope, in scripture, is absolute certainty.

Biblical hope is “An unbreakable promise”.

Today I want to share some of the promises of scripture that talk about the hope all Christians have.

Our message of hope has four parts:

• Heaven

H:  We are able to make a reservation in the perfect community, Heaven.  Part one of our message of HOPE is that that we can have a relationship with God, our creator, the creator of the universe, through Jesus Christ, and we can reserve a room (a place) in heaven with a reservation that cannot be broken.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 ESV)

“Jesus said …, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’”   John 11:25

The gift of salvation is  “An unbreakable promise”.  God promised the Christian eternal life … and God cannot lie.

Hope for a Christian is living eternally in Heaven when we leave this earth.

Imagine just how awesome it will be to spend eternity in heaven.

Scripture gives us a tiny glimpse of Heaven.  A partial description of heaven is found in Rev.21: 4 where it says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)

 Using symbolic language, we will be “Walking on streets of pure gold”.  (Revelation 21:21)

•  Overcomers

O:  We can become an overcomer and can experience victory over sin and death.  Part two of our message of HOPE is that Jesus Christ overcame sin and death for us.  Jesus is an overcomer, and because of the work of Jesus Christ we too can be an overcomer.

Jesus overcame sin and death.  Jesus conquered sin and death for us.

John 16:33       I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We are overcomers

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. 1 John 5:4

^… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (Colossians 1:12-13)

When we ask Jesus to transform our lives we are able to overcome sin and death and we became eligible to spend eternity in heaven.

• Promises

P:  We can claim the promises in scripture that can never be broken.  Part three of our message of HOPE is more promises from scripture.

Scripture tells us that we have “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, (Titus 1:2)

More promises:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.   You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)

 I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly NASB (have it to the full NIV). (John 10:10)

•  Eternity

E:  We can enjoy an eternity with the Lord.  Part four of our message of Hope is that the Hope  we have is for eternity.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 We should be encourage, not discouraged. As Believers we will be reunited with loved ones, family, and friends who have accepted Jesus Christ as their redeemer.  We will live with Christ for all of eternity.

This message of hope is offered to everyone.

H:  As believers we are able to make a reservation in the perfect community, Heaven.

O:  We can become an overcomer and experience victory over sin and death.

P:  We can claim the promises found in scripture that can never be broken.

E:  We can enjoy an eternity with the Lord.

 Death for the Christians is not something to grieve or fear
but rather something to be celebrated.

Check out “Whoever Believes….”